Biology

Physiology

Shiftry is a large brown Pokémon with menacing features. It has a long, shaggy, white mane which covers most of its face and is comparable in appearance to a cobweb. It has long ears, fierce-looking yellow eyes, a very long pointed nose, and a large mouth with teeth that are usually gritted. Its hands consist of three broad leaves with brown "spokes," which it can use to create powerful winds. Its feet are unusual in that they resemble Japanese tengu-geta, footwear with only a single central "tooth" strongly associated with the mythical figure of tengu.

Gender differences

A female's leaves are smaller than a male's.

Special abilities

Shiftry can create powerful winds of close to 100 feet per second with their fan-shaped hands, and therefore can use the moves Whirlwind and Razor Wind. They are also capable of reading their foe's mind.

Behavior

Shiftry are said to be cruel creatures that enjoy nothing but deliberately injuring passers-by for no reason whatsoever, however, this view has little basis. They do however lead large groups of Seedot, Nuzleaf and even lower-ranking Shiftry and are quite loyal to their own kind.

Origin

Shiftry are based on tengu, who are known for their long noses, cruel tricks, ability to read minds, and for wielding a magical fan called a 羽団扇 hauchiwa, known to have the power to stir great winds. Shiftry also bears resemblance to a nutcracker.

Name origin

Shiftry may be a combination of shifty (deceitful) and tree.

Dirteng may be a combination of dark or dirty and 天狗 tengu (tricky Japanese goblins).